Poultry-fountain.



G. A. P. NOHDQUIST.

POULTRY FOUNTAIN.

1,114,638, Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

.CcurZ 36L? 4% ilNlTED STATE@ PATENT OFFICE. a

CARL A. P.

NORDQUIST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

POULTItY-FGUNTAIN.

Specification of Letters Pater Application filed March 3, 1 111.

Patented Get. 20, 1914. Serial No. sienna. i

water is automaticlly supplied to a drinking trough. p

I am aware that poultry fountains have been constructed in the past, but they have been open to several serious objections. In the first place, the fountains were made in several parts which were separated when the fountain was supplied with water. The result of this construction was that the parts were very apt to become bentso that they would not properly cooperate, and after.

separation it of course often happened that one part would become lost, thereby rendering the fountain useless.

In my improved form of fountain the various parts are assembled, audit is un necesary to remove any of the parts when the reservoir of the fountainis filled. The parts are simple in construction and are readily manufactured, so that while my fountain is very eilicient it is at thesame time very cheap.

Expressed in general terms, my poultry fountain consists of a reservoir, prefe'ably cylindrical and having a rounded top on which it is impossible for poultry to stand. on account of the curved surface thereof. This reservoir is provided with a concave bottom having an aperture in its center, which is preferably closed by an automatic trap. Around the outside of the lower edge of the reservoir is provided a, drinking trough, which is supplied with water from the reservoir through suitable holes, the fountain operating on the well-known vacuum principle.

The fountain is supplied with a suitable handle, preferably of wire, which is so con structed that the fountain may be carried either in its normal position with thedrinking trough'downward, or may be reversed so that the bottomis on top. It is in this position that the reservoir is filledthrough theaperture in the concave bottom. It will be apparent that on account of the shape of this bottom, when the water reaches the aperture in its center there is still an air-containing space left inside of the reservoir, so that when the same'is reversed and placed in its normal position there will be an air space in the top of the reservoir. This is a particular advantage in cold weather, sinceif the water in the reservoir freezes and expands there is room to allow for such expansion and the fountain is not bursted.

These and other advantages of my improvements Wlll be more readily understood. by referenceto the accompanying drawings,

which represent a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which Figure l is a vertical. section through my improved poultry fountain, taken on the line 11 of 2; Fig. 2 is a transverse section, taken on the line 2 2 ofFigl; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the bottom of the fountain, with a modified closing means for the aperture in the bottom. Fig. 4- is a side elevation of one of the buttons which hold the ends of the fountain handle.

T he poultry fountain comprisesa reservoir 10, which is preferably.cylindrical and has the convex top 11, this topbelng sufiiciently rounded so as to prevent poultry from obtaining a footing thereon. Solderech.

or otherwise suitably attached, to the lower edge of thereservoir 10 is the concave bot-j tom 12, in the center :ofwhich is the aper ture 13. The. outer edge of the bottom 12 is suitably bent to'form the drinking trough 14.

A trap 15 pivoted tothe bracket 16,..and having the extension 17, normally closes the aperture 13. As "indicated in Fig. 3, a corl r or stopper 18 provided with the ring 19 may readily be inserted in the aperture 13 if the trap 15 is not used or for any reason has become inoperative. Toward the lower edge of the reservoir 10 are the apertures 20,

vhich afford communication between the in side of the reservoir trough 1 i Soldered or otherwise suitably attached to opposite sides of the resevoir 10 are the buttons 21 provided with apertures 22 to receive the bent ends 23 of the wire handle 24:, each button being depressed in its portion 25', thereby forming a groove in the button, which serves to hold the handle 24in an upright positionwhen thepoultry founand the drinking tain is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, with the trough 1 L resting on the ground.

In the flange 26 of the trough 1i are provided the notches 27, which serve to retain the handle 2 1 when the fountain is in its reversed position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Having thus described the various parts of my invention, the operation of the device may now be readily understood. In order to fill the reservoir the fountain is reversed so that the notches 27 are engaged by the handle 24. The trap is thereby opened until the extension 17 engages the bottom 12. lVater is then poured through the aperture 13 until the height of the water reaches said aperture. 1t will be apparent that an air space remains inside of the reservoir 10 between the plane of the aperture 13 and the edge or" the reservoir 10. Thefountain may now be turned into the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 1. The trap 15 is automatically closed, and the water covers the bottom 12, the air space occurring between the plane of the aperture 13 and the edge of the reservoir 10 in the reversed position of the reservoir now occupying a position within the top 11 of the reservoir.

Water flows through the apertures into the trough it until a sutlicient vacuum has been created in the upper part of the reservoir so that the atmospheric pressure exerted on the water within the troigh 14 balances the column of water within the reservoir 10. As water becomes exhausted within the trough 1 1 by evaporation, or on account of being consumed by the poultry, the level of this water gradually falls until it reaches the upper edge of one or more of the apertures 20. V'Vhen the level of water in trough 1 1 falls slightly farther air is admitted through such aperture or apertures 20 and passes upwardly in the form of bubbles through the column of water within the reservoir 10 and lowers the vacuum in the upper part of the reservoir. This causes additional water to flow into the trough 14;.

In this way the trough 14L is constantly and automatically supplied with water.

In case it is not desired to use the trap 15 or the latter gets out of order, the stopper 18 may be inserted in the aperture 13. W ien the fountain, in either its normal or reversed position, is being carried by its handle 24:, it is apparent that the weight of water in the reservoir will cause the sides of handle 24: to be drawn inwardly toward each other and thus prevent disengagement of the handle from the portions 25 of buttons 21, or the notches 27, as the case may be.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that many changes can be made in the detailed construction of the various parts wnich I have described without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

hat I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a reservoir, a concave base member bent to form abottom and a trough, said bottom having a filling aperture there in and said reservoir having an aperture communicating with said trough, a gravity operated trap for automatically closing the aperture in said bottom when the fountain is in operative position, and means for limiting the extent to which said trap may open when the fountain is in filling position, substantially as described.

2. in a device of the class described, the combination of a reservoir having integrally formed therewith a bottom and a trough,

said bottom having a filling aperture therein, buttons mounted on the sides of said reservoir, and a handle having its ends held by said buttons, said buttons having grooves therein whereby said handle may be retained in upright position when the fountain is in operative position, and said trough having notches therein whereby said handle may be retained when said fountain is turned into its reverse or filling position, substantially as described. 1

ARL A. P. NORDQUIST. Witnesses ARTHUR M. LEWALD, HENRY M. HUXLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

